Declining revenue a factor in Dunlap's decision on year-round school

Declining property values facing school districts throughout the state played a role in Dunlap schools' decision to cancel a study on implementing year-round schools, according to Jay Marino, superintendent of Dunlap Community Unit School District 323. The committee researching a balanced sch...

PEORIA - Declining property values facing school districts throughout the state played a role in Dunlap schools' decision to cancel a study on implementing year-round schools, according to Jay Marino, superintendent of Dunlap Community Unit School District 323.

The committee researching a balanced school calendar, or year-round school, found the benefits would not outweigh the costs for a district with Dunlap's high-achieving, low-poverty demographics, according to Marino. At the same time, Dunlap is facing an estimated $2 million deficit for the 2013-14 school year.

"The myth is Dunlap isn't vulnerable to all of the economic downturns that everybody else has to deal with when, in fact, we are," Marino said. "Our revenues are almost at historic lows as far as revenues from property taxes."

Dunlap's expenditures for 2013-14 are expected to reach $41 million. Revenues are estimated at $39 million, 90 percent of which are derived from property tax revenues.

Declines in a property's equalized assessed valuation, or EAV, reduces property income for school districts. The EAV in Dunlap boundaries only went up 0.7 percent during the current fiscal year, compared to an increase of 1.3 percent in 2012-13 and 3.57 percent the year before.

Revenues from property taxes increased about 1 percent compared to 2012-13, Marino said. But expenditures climbed about 8 percent compared to last year, mainly because of increasing enrollments and the additional staffing and operational costs that come with increased enrollments.

The deficit might have been larger, but Dunlap combined fee increases - for instance, lunch fees and student registrations - with cost-cutting measures such as eliminating after-school bus routes to child care centers to save $750,000.

Between the tight budget and negligible advantages of a balanced calendar for a district like Dunlap, Marino said it was hard to justify the expense for year-round schools.

School Board President Amy Fairfield Doering has also said standing-room-only crowds showed up at school board meetings to express concerns.

"Year-round" school doesn't mean students go to school year-round. Typically, the school is broken into nine-week quarters, with two- or three-week breaks between each quarter.

Dunlap originally considered the concept as an option to provide extra help to students struggling academically along with enrichment programs for other students. Marino said research indicates the benefits of year-round schools are greater in school districts with high-poverty levels and low student achievement.

Marino announced cancellation of the study on his blog last week. A group of Dunlap parents, teachers and administrators visited Rock Island's school district in May. Marino was assistant superintendent in Rock Island in 2001, the first year the district went to year-round schools.

Pam Adams can be reached at 686-3245 or padams@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @padamspam.